Slide fastener



July 25, 1961 P. E. CRYSTAL SLIDE FASTENER Filed June 6, 1958 INVENTOR. PHILIP E. CRYSTAL MMH-W ATTORNEY nite The present invention is directed to a slide fastener, and more particularly to a slide fastener which may be readily mounted above a seam, and which permits a construction to be obtained which in its closed disposition closely simulates a seam.

It has long proved desirable to provide a slide fastener which can be mounted into a cloth article, and which when so mounted will closely simulate a seam when in closed disposition. A variety of approaches have now been developed for the insertion of slide fasteners into cloth articles in which the line of stitching joining the tapes of the slide fastener to the cloth article are closely adjacent to the elements of the slide fastener.

This invention has as an object the provision of a novel slide fastener.

This invention has as another object the provision of a slide fastener which may be readily installed into a cloth article by lines of stitching which are closely adjacent to the elements of the slide fastener tapes.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the slide fastener of the present invention with the slide fastener elements thereof in engaged disposition, such view revealing the appearance of the rear face of the slide fastener.

FIGURE 2. is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1, but with the slide fastener elements in non-engaged disposition.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view in plan of the bottom portion of a modified embodiment of the slide fastener of the present invention.

The slide fastener of the present invention comprises a pair of element carrying tapes 12 and 14. Each of the tapes 12 and 14 is provided with elements 16 which mate with each other when the slide fastener 10 is disposed in its closed disposition.

As seen particularly in FIGURE 4, each of the tapes 12 and 14 is provided on its inner edge with a welt, namely welt 18 in the case of tape 12, and welt 20 in the case of tape 14.

The elements 16 comprise curved members, each of which embraces the welt of the respective tapes upon which it is carried. Thus, the welt 18 is received within the elements 16 which are carried by the tape 12, and the welt 20 is received within the elements 16 which are carried by the tape 14. The elements 16 may be pivoted upon their supporting welts if desired, so that such elements may be held erect so as to enable a line of stitching to be placed closely adjacent the elements.

It will be seen from FIGURE 4 that the welts 1'8 and 20 are folded back and overlap the tapes 1 2 and 14 when the slide fastener elements 16 are engaged. Thus, when the slide fastener 10 is viewed from the side opposite to the side on which the fastener elements 16 are carried, such fastener elements 16 are obscured by the tapes 12 Sttes Patent and 14. This enables the slide fastener 10 to function as a concealed slide fastener.

A top stop 21 is provided adjacent the uppermost fastener elements on each of the tapes 12 and 14. The top stop 21 of each of the tapes 12 and 14 is preferably formed of non-mating slide fastener elements, such as a plurality of nesting slide fastener elements.

The slider 22 rides on the inner and outer edges of the elements 16 when the slider is engaged with such elements 16. A wide variety of constructions of slider and elements may be utilized in the slide fastener of the present invention, however, the elements and the slider shown in Hug United States Letters Patent 2,738,560 issued March 20, 1956 are especially suitable.

It is to be noted that the slide fastener 10 of the present invention is not provided with a bottom stop or clip adjacent the lowermost elements 16a on the tapes 12 and 14. Instead, below the lowermost elements 16a on the tapes 12 and 14 there is provided a gap 24 which is devoid of elements and which has a length appreciably greater than the length of the slider 22. The gap 24 is defined by the lowermost elements 16a and the bar tack 26 which joins the tapes 12 and 14 together. The bar tack 26 is closely adjacent the lowermost ends of'the tapes 12 and 14.

While a metal clip or other means may be used to replace the bar tack 26 adjacent the lowermost ends of the tapes 12 and 14, the bar tack 26 is to be preferred. Thus, the bar tack 26 is relatively cheaper than a metal clip, and moreover the bar tack 26 may be installed without offsetting the regular parallel alignment of the welts 18 and 20 within the gap portion 24.

The use of a metal clip 28 in place of the bar tack 26 is shown in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5.

It will be noted that the slider 22 may be slid from the elements 16 of the slide fastener 10 onto the welts 18 and 20 in the gap portion 24, in which position the slider 22 is completely removed from the elements 16 (see FIGURES 2 and 5). The bar tack 26 (or the metal clip 28 in the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5) serves as a stop and prevents the separation of the slider 22 from the tapes 12 and 14. Moreover, the bar tack 26 (or metal clip 28) serves to keep the tapes 12 and 14 in juxtaposed alignment even when the slider 22 is disposed within the gap 24.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A slide fastener including a pair of tapes, the innermost edges of said tapes being welted for the entire length of the tapes, mating slide fastener elements secured to said welts on each of said tapes, a slider, bridging means securedly joining said tapes together at the lowermost portions of said tapes, the closest fastener element to said bridging means being spaced from said bridging means by a distance appreciably greater than the length of said slider thereby defining a gap, with said slider being reciprocally movable along the welts in said gap and along said slide fastener elements, whereby said slider may be posi tioned within said gap so that said elements may be held erect so that a line of stitching joining said tapes to an article may be placed adjacent the fastener elements.

2. A slide fastener in accordance with claim 1 in which the bridging means comprises a bar tack.

3. A slide fastener in accordance with claim 1 in which the bridging means comprises a metal clip.

4. A slide fastener including a pair of tapes, the innermost edges of said tapes being welted for the entire length of the tapes, mating slide fastener elements secured to said welts on each of said tapes, each of said fastener elements having an inner end for effecting interlocking cooperation with a neighboring fastener element on the other tape and an outerend which embraces the welt on the inner edge of its tape with its tape upwardly extending and overlapping said outer end when said slide fastener is in closed disposition wherebly when said slide fastener is in closed disposition each of the tapes is folded above and overlaps the slide fastener elements with the folded portions of the tapes being in tight abutting engagement, a slider, bridging means securedly joining said tapes together at the lowermost portions of said tapes, the closest fastener element to said bridging means being spaced from said bridging means by a distance appreciably greater than the length of said slider thereby defining a gap, with said slider being reciprocally movable along the welts in said gap and along said slide fastener elements, whereby said slider may be positioned within said gap so that said elements may be held erect so that a line of stitching joining said tapes to an article may be placed adjacent the fastener elements.

5. A slide fastener in accordance with claim 4 in which the bridging means comprises a bar tack.

6. A slide fastener in accordance with claim 4 in which the bridging means comprises a metal clip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,898,743 Pipes Feb. 21, 1933 2,120,924 Stillschweig June 14, 1938 2,171,335 Gross Aug. 29, 1939 2,220,136 Marinsky Nov. 5, 1940 2,549,051 Brown Apr. 17, 1951 2,578,035 Bashover Dec. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 739 Australia 1936 482,804 Italy July 13, 1953 557,648 Germany Aug. 26, 1932 570,050 Germany Feb. 7, 1932 719,297 France Feb. 3, 1932 

